Instep-arch support.



W. H. WOOD.

iNSTEP ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 15, i916- Patented July 3, 1917.

WILLIAM .I-I. WOOD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TQS'I'ANLEY W. COOK, TRUSTEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INSTEP AJROH SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. 00D, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Instep-Arch Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in arch supports and more particularly to arch supports designed for the correction or re lief of breaking down of the transverse arch of the human foot.

It is a fact well known to foot specialists that when the transverse, arch, formedby the anterior portions of the metatarsals ofthe human foot, breaks down relief may be obtained by proper application of pressure to the affected area of the foot, somewhat in rear of the metatarsal heads, the restorative pressure being excited by a humped archsupport.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an arch support construction affording readily adjustable means for locating the hump that exerts the restorative pressure at theproperly selected point for most beneficent use.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive and efficient construction; and further objects will become apparent from consideration of the following specification.

In the drawings wherein I have illus trated an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view of an arch support;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal transverse section on line 33'of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the hump-plate detached.

In the preferred construction shown 10 indicates the customary leather cover piece shaped to fit in the heel and shank of a shoe, said cover being riveted as at 11 and 12 in usual fashion to a suitable main arch plate 13, the rivets being to one side of the longitudinal axis of the plate. This metallic plate has longitudinally extending depressed ribs 14, 14, running lengthwise along the highest arched portion of the plate,and terminating within the plate confines, there being preferably two or more ribs provided,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, ieiv.

Application filed Jilly 15, 1916. Serial No. 109,548.

and the arch plate may be perforated, as at.

19, for ventilation.

In connection with the main plate I employ an adjustable supplemental hump plate 25, as shown in Fig. This plate. comprises a thin body of metal having approximately formed in one end thereof a distinct upstruck hump 26 of suitable shape, and at its other end a down-struck boss 27. The head 28 in which the hump is formed is-preferably offset from the body 29 so that one edge 29' of the body projects laterally beyond the side of the head. The body may have ventilating openings 30, if desired.

In applying the supplemental plate or hump plate, it is slipped between the cover piece and the main plate so that the depressed boss 27 engages in one of the ribs 14, the body part 29 covers a large part of the said ribs 14 and the hump 26, (as shown at I 26' in Fig. 1) is located near'the forward end of the main plate. So positioned, with its boss 27 engaging in a longitudinally extending rib 14, the hump-plate may be slipped backward and forward longitudinally, and its head swung transversely, so as to locate the hump 26 at exactly the desired point, all without disengaging the boss 27 from rib 14. The plate will be frictionally retained in desired position with considerable security, because of the grip of the cover piece thereagainst, and in most instances, it is not necessary to positively position the hump plate in any other way. If further security is desired, a body of yielding material 31, such as felt, or crushed paper, or the like, may be inserted in the cavity formed by the underside of the hump 26, to engage in the subjacent one or ones of the depressedribs 1414' of the plate. Such a slight augmentation of the frictional grip normally existing between the parts I have While I have herein described in some detail a particular embodiment of my in- Vention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes in the details of construction might be made without departure from the spirit of my invention and Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an arch support the combination of a main arch plate, a superimposed cover member riveted thereto and an interposed hump plate, said hump plate being longitudinally and transversely shiftable between the overlying and underlying members and held solely by frictional engagement therewith.

2. In an arch support the combination of a metallic plate having a depressed rib, a leather cover-piece overlying said main plate, and secured thereto adjacent said rib and an auxiliary hump plate, having a hump in its anterior portion and a depressed boss in its posterior portion, said boss engaging said rib in the mainv plate, whereby the hump plate may be shifted longitudinally and its anterior end moved transverselg without disengaging said boss from said ri 3. In an arch support, a main plate having a rib 14 to one side of the plate axis and a rib 14' to the other side of said axis, a leather cover piece riveted to the main plate near rib 14, and an elongated thin hump plate having near its posterior end a depressed boss for sliding engagement in said rib 14 and near its anterior end a hump 26.

4. In an arch support, a main plate having a rib 14 to one side of the plate axis and a rib 14 to the other side of said axis, a leathercover piece riveted to the main plate near rib 14, and an elongated thin hump plate having near its posterior end a depressed boss for sliding engagement in said.

rib 14 and near its anterior end a hump 26, said humpportion being laterally oflset and the body of the hump plate arranged to overlie a major portion of the rib 14.

5. In an arch support, a main plate having a rib 14 to one side of the plate axis and a rib 14 to the other side of said axis, a

leather cover piece riveted to the main plate near rib 14, and an elongated thin hump plate having near its posterior end a depressed boss for-sliding engagement in said rib 14 and near its anterior end a hump 26 and a flexible body enga ing the concave underside-of the hump an one of the ribs of the main plate. 1

6. In an arch support, a main plate, a cover piece riveted thereto and a bump plate having a humped anterior portion and a flat posterior port-ion, said posterior portion being retained between the leather and the main plate near the rivet-line solely by friction, andsaid anterior portion being shiftable longitudinally and transversely.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. WOOD. 

